Improvement in reclining-chairs



ZSheets-Sheetl. N. N. HORTON. REGLIN'ING CHAIR. No.182,671. Pate nted SeLZB, 1876.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I I MW/ 11111 1 N. PETERS. PHOTO UTHOGRAPHERWASHINGTON, D C.

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Y vN N. HORTON.

Patented Sept. 26, 1876.

R A H c G N I N I T C E R 7 6 z 8 1 0 N INVENTOR S E S S E N T W N.PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASNINGTOM'D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

NUMON 1v. HORTON, on KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN RECLlNlNG-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,671, datedSeptember 26, 1876;app1ication filed April19, 1876 To all whom itmay'concem:

Be it known that I, NUMON N. HORTON, M. D., of Kansas City, in thecounty of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Reclining-Chairs, of which the following is aspecification My improved car seat is constructed to adapt it for useeither as a day-chair or a reclining-chair, the hinged back beingarranged to tip forward, so that the chair may turn on a swivel withoutoccupying more space than the area of the seat. It is provided with ahead-rest, attached to angular arms, which are pivoted to the back andto the upper ends of the arm-standards, so as to cause the headrest toassume the plane of the back when the latter is nearly upright, and toproject above its surface, to serve as a pillow when the back is loweredfor reclining. For the tipping and inclining of the back thearm-standards are knuckle-jointed, and are connected to a bowed orcrank-shaped pivot'beneath the seat, which carries a pawl, engaging witha rack, to hold the back in any position, andv retractable by alever-arm, and provided with a spring, to keep the knuckle joints of thestandards closed, and counterbalance the back when inclined. Thestationary foot forms a socket,

-within which is swiveled a supporting frame,

the main portion of which consists of a spider, with four arms securedto the bottom of the seat, and two of them forming bearings for thecrank-pivot. Said spider also carries a stop-lock for securing the chairto face in either direction, said stop-lock being connected to the back,so as to be retracted when the back is tipped forward. The stem of thespider is slotted, to receive the toothed supporting-arm of the pivotedleg-rest, which arm is elevated by means of a lever, to permit the restto fall.

In the accompanyingdrawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved chair, the seat and upper portions being removed from thesupporting-frame, to exhibit the construction of the latter. Fig. 2 is aperspective view, taken from another point. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection underneath the seat.

A represents a cast-iron foot or base, intended to be permanentlysecured to the floor of the car, and forming a socket for the receptionof the pivot B of a cast-iron supporting frame or spider, U, which maybe secured by bolts 0 tea cast-iron ring or frame, D, on which theseat-bottom D is supported. F represents a crank or bow shaped lever,fitted to rigidly secured at its ends tostandards G, which are formed atg with knuckle or rule joints, and are hinged at their upper ends to thearms'H. The arms. H are permanently connected to a head-rest, I, whichis hinged at i to the back E. 6 represents the hinge which connects theback-E to the seat D. To the center of the crank-lever F is applied apawl, J, engaging with a ratchetneck, K, on the spider 0, so as tosupport the back in any position to which it may be adjusted. A strongspiral or other spring, L, connecting the center of the crank-pivot Fwith the rear part of the spider, supports the weight of the back, andtends to keep the knuckle-joints G of the standard closed. M representsa lever fulcrumed at m, and provided with a knob or ring, m, withinconvenient reach of the occupant of the chair, for the purpose ofraising N represents a leg-rest, formed of two leaves hinged so as tofold together, and hinged at n to the front of the seat D. The leg-restis supported by a hinged arm, 0, fitted to slip within a slot in thestem of the spider G, and

with a suitable tooth in front of said slot. P is a lever fulcrumed at10, and provided with a knob or ring, 10, in convenient reach of theoccupant of the chair, for the purpose of raising the supporting-armwhen the leg-rest is to be lowered to any extent desired.

The knuckle-joints g, in the standards G, are to permit the tippingforward of the back and the attached head-rest, so as to admit ofturning the chair within a small space. To fix it parallel with the carand facing in either direction, the spider is provided with afalling-stop, Q, which drops into either notch q or g in the foot A. Thestop Q is connected by a rod or chain, R, to the seat-back E, so thatthe act of tipping the back forward will raise the stop and release theseat, to permit it to turn. S S are fenders, attached to the turn insuitable hearings in the spider O, and

the pawl J when the back is to be inclined.

formed with ratchet-teeth 0, which engage sides of the seat, for thepurposev of keeping the clothing of the occupant from contact with themoving standards G.

It will be observed that in this chair the arms and head-rest are madein one piece or permanently connected, so that they always retain thesame relative angle with, each other, whether the chair-back is inclinedor not, and they are pivoted at such a point to the back as to afford aconvenient head-rest or pillow for the head of the occupant whilereclining,

the said head-rest being produced automatically by the movement of theback itself. The

turning of the head-rest from the plane of the chair-back when thepassenger is reclining also affords more room for the occupant of thenext seat behind.

' The crank lever or pivot F is peculiar in its construction andoperation. Its semicircular or bowed form downward beneath the seatgives a leverage to act with the pawl and rack in supporting the back inthe position in which it may beset, and it is turned a little backwardfrom the perpendicular, so as to give the strongest leverage when theback is most inclined, and, consequently, bears the heaviest strain. Thebowed form of this lever-pivot also affords room for the springs andother parts of a properly-upholstered seat, permitting them to projectbelow the plane of the seat-frame D.

The utility of the provision for tipping the back forward -is apparentin view of the difficulty commonly experienced in turning highbackcar-seats on pivots. Pivoted seats, as ordinarily constructed, requiretoo large an area to turn in without interfering with each other; but bymy improvement I produce a high-back chair which can be turned withinthe area of its seat or bottom. I am thus enabled to put high-backchairs close together side by side and reverse them when required withperfect ease. Y

The action of the'spring L is to-keep the stop or hinge-joint g of thestandards alwaysclosed except when-the back is set forward to turn on apivot. This constant pulling of the spring on the crank-lever F, belowthe pivot, effectually prevents the flexure of the knucklejoints 9 whenraising the back from an'inclined position. It also balances the weight.of the back when inclined. The stop-locks hold the chair in a positionparallel with the car, and prevent its spontaneous turning or swingingon its pivot with the motion of the car, or from other causes.

some portions of my invention are equally applicable to invalid and easychairs for house use.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The angular arms H and head-rest I rigidly connected together andhinged to the back E, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The bow-shaped crank-lever F in combination with the uprights G, backE, arms H, supporting-pawl J, and rack K, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination of the uprights G, constructed with knuckle-joints,and the hinged back E, and arms H, to provide for setting the backforward, in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4. The'combination of the back E, arms H, and jointed uprights G, and asuitable supporting-frame with the stop Q, so that said stop will beretracted by the tipping forward of said back, in the manner explained.

5. The combination of the hinged hack E, arms H, uprights G, crank-leverF, supporting-pawl J, and lever M for retracting said pawl, as setforth.

6. The spider, having arms for attachment to the seat-frame I), andbearings for the shaft which forms the pivot of the uprights G, in themanner explained.

7. The leg-rest N in combination with the hinged supporting-arm 0working in a slotin the stem of the spider (J, and with' the lever P forelevating said supporting-arm when the leg-rest is to be lowered,substantially as set forth. I I

y N. N. HORTON, M. D.-

Witnesses:

J. L. BARNES, J. H. RIEGER.

